Foldable box



June? 24, 193.0.v f A, BROWN l `15767,'734

l FLDABLE Box Filed-Feb. 21, 1929 UNETE STATES ARTHUR EMLEN BROWN, OFPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO BROWN & BAILEY CGMPAII'Y, ACORPRAIIGN F PENNSYLVANIA FOLDABLE BOX Application filed February 21,19529.

This invention relates to improvements in foldable boxes, and moreparticularly deals with boxes of the type Which are formed from asingleV blank of paper, cardboard,

or similar sheet material, which by proper folding produces a neat andattractive container having means thereon for locking and 'maintainingthe folded blank in assembled condition.

An object of my invention is to provide an extremely simple andinexpensive product which may be easily and quickly disassembled to gainaccess to the contents of the receptacle.

An additional object is to provide a box which is provided with lockingmeans, some of which can be disengaged for the purpose of permittingdisassembly of one end of the box Without disturbing the remainingportion of the box, so that inspection of the contents of the box may bereadily had Without the necessity of rthe total disassembly thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a box in Which oneof the side 'Walls may likewise be pulled out so that the contents ofthe box can be inspected.

An addition-al object of the present invention is to provide a box inWhich only a single gumming is necessary to maintain the box inassembled relation and the box is so formed that this single gumming isapplied to the rear face thereof, thereby leaving smooth, unbroken andunobstructed front faces for the box which may be fully utilized foradvertising Aor other purposes, the gumfming means employed beingpreferably in the form of a store label carrying the c'ustoniersaddress, so that the label performs a dual function, that is, it securesthe box in assembled relation and affords a space for thecustomersaddress.

A still further object is to provide la box having firm closures at theends thereof so that When the box is partially disassembled theremaining or disassembled portions of the box Will be rigidly lockedtogether, thereby permitting the partial disassembly Without disturbingthe remaining locking elements.

Serial No. M1533.

Other advantages and objects of the invention will be manifest from aperusual of the following description in connection with theaccompanying drawings, Which form part hereof and in Which Fig. 1 is aplan view of the blank of sheet material from Which the box isconstructed.

Fig. 2 is a reversed perspective View of the box in assembled condition,portions thereof being shown in dotted lines to indicate the manner ofassembly.

F ig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, With one end of the boxdisassembled so as to permit access and inspection of the contentsthereof.

Fig. d is a longitudinal central sectional view taken along the line 2-2of Fig. 2, with portions thereof broken' away so as to show the interiorconstruction and relation of parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the single blank of sheetmaterial from which, the box is constructed comprises a top panel 1, abottom panel 2 and side panels 3, 3 and 4. The top and bottom panels 1and 2 are here shown as being of rectangular formation, but it isbelieved to be obvious that the form is immaterial. The top panel 1 isproduced by scoring the blank along the lines 5, 6, 7 and 8, and thebottom panel 2, which is of a form similar to the top panel 1, isproduced by scoring the blank along the lines 9, 10, 11 and 12.

From an inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawing, it will be seen thatintermediate the score lines 7 a-nd 12 is one of the side panels, 3,integrally connected with the top and bottom panels and that the sidepanels 3 and 4L are integrally connected to the bottom and top panels,respectively. On each of the side panels 3, 3 and 4, I prov-ide thecorner flaps 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18, Which are scored to permit thesai-d ilaps to be bent at right angles with relation to the said sidepanels, it being noted that the corner flaps 13, 14, 16 and 17 areindicated as being of rectangular formation, and that the corner flaps15 and 18 are provided with rounded corners as indicated at 19 and 20,

at one of its marginal edges with an underl cut portion 27 forming aninterlocking shoulder.

Intermediate the ears 23 and 25 is the tongue 23, and intermediate theears 24 and 26 I provide a tongue 29, so that it will be seen that Iprovide a plurality of locking ears or tongues which are spaced equidisftantly throughout the entire length of the end panels 21 and 22, therebyproviding when the box is in assembled relation uniform locking orsecuring of the ends of the box throughoutthe entire length thereof.Integrally formed with the bottoni panel 2 are the end panels 30 and 31,which are provided With elongated slots 32, 33, and 35, which are ofsufficient length to snugly engage apair of locking tongues on the endpanels 21 land 22 when the box is assembled,

The side panel 4 carries an extension panel 36 produced by scoring theblank along the line 37 and is provided at opposite ends with foldableflaps 33 and 39, produced by scoring the blank along the lines 40 and41, and each of the flaps 38 and 39 is provided with an elongated slot42 and 43 respectively, which are adapted to receive the remaininglocking tongues or ears on the end panels 21 and 22.

Having now described in detail the particular construction of thevarious parts, the manner of assembling the box is folle-Ws:

The top and bottom panels 1 and 2 are folded along the lines 7 and 12 soto extend at right angles to the side panel 3, and the side panel 3 isbent inwardly at right angles to the bottom panel 2 and has its edgelocated along the score line 3 of the topY panel 1. The'side panel 4 isthen bent at right angles to the top panel 1 so as to overlap the sidepanel 3. Thereafter, the extension lla-p 36 is bent at right angles tothe side panel 4 and overlaps the bottom panel 2, as clearly shown inFigs. 2, 3 and 4,

When this has been done, it Will be seen that the blank has been foldedto substantially tubular formation with the end panels and corner flapsVextending in the plane of the respective panels to which they areattached. To complete the assembly of the box, the corner flaps are nextfolded inwardly at rig-ht angles to the side panels, and the end panels30 and 31 are folded downwardly at right angles to the bottom panel,While the end panels 21 and 22 are folded upwardly so as to overlap theend panels 30 and 31, thereby closing the ends of the box.

It Will be noted from an inspection of 3 that the extension panel 36overlies the bottom panel 2 and that the foldable flaps 38 and 39 areadapted to be folded along the score lines 40 and 41, which coincideWith the fold lines 9 and 10 on the bottom panel 2., so 'that when infolded condition the foldable 'llaps 33 and 39 form a portion of the endclosures, and that the slots 42 and 43 are positioned so as to receivethe locking ears 25 and 26, Which are adapted to be passed therethroughWith the cut-out portion 27 of said flaps engaging one end of the slotsto prevent accidental displacement thereof.

Will further be seen that when infolded position the tongues 28 and 29register with the slots 32 and 34 in the end panels 30 and 31, and thatthe locking ears 23 and 24 register with the elongated slots 33 and 35in the end panels 30 and 31.

The ears 23 and 24 have rlikewise been described as being provided withundercut portions 27 which are also adapted to engage the ends of theslots 33 and 35 in a manner similar to that described in connection Withthe ears 25 and 26, thereby preventing accidental disengagement of thesaid locking ears.

The box has now been completely assembled, and it will be readilyapparent that by gumming the extension iiap 36 along its edge, it may beadhesively secured to the bottom panel 2, thereby preventing disassemblyof the box; or, as illustrated in 2 and 3, the extension flap 36 may besecured to the bottom panel 2 by means of a store label 44 'which isadapted to bear the address of the customer or other suitable indicia,and it is to be noted that the only gumming employed in assembling thebox is on the bottom thereof, thereby leaving the front face of the boxentirely unobstructed, so as to permit complete use thereof for suitableadvertisement or ornamentation.

By providing the extension panel 36 With the, elongated slots 42 and 43,Which Will receive the locking ears 25 and 26, it Will be seen that inorder to iLiartially disassemble the box it is merely necessary torelease the looking ears 25 and 26 from the slots 42 and 43, and uponbreaking the adhesive means 44 the extension flap 36 and side panel 4Amay be pulled dovvn so as to permit ready inspection of or access to thecontents of the box. ln order to facilitate this partial disassembly,the corner flaps 15 and 18 are provided ivith the rounded corners 19 and2O, which permit the same to slide easily from a position between theend panels 30 and 31 and the corner flaps 13 and 16, in which iositionthey lie when the box is completely assembled, and that it isunnecessary, therefore, to further disassemble the box, the otherlocking tongues and ears remaining in mterengae'ing position.

The partial disassembly of the box as described is made possible bythefirm closure of the end panels, and this firmness is pro duced byproviding the locking ears 23 andA 24 With the undercut portions 27.

It Will also be seen from an inspection of Fig. 3 that the box may bepartially disassembled at eit-her end for inspection or access, andWithout the necessity of disturbing the adhesive means employed tosecure the extension panel 36 to the bottom panel 2, and it is believedto be readily understood that when the locking ears 25 and 26 have beendisengaged from the elongated slots 42 and 43, the box may be quicklydisassembled in its entirety after the adhesive seal 44 has been broken.

F rom the foregoing description, it Will be seen that I have provided avery inexpensive and attractive container which may rapidly and easilybe either totally or partially dis-assembled and that I have provided astructure in which the box is securely locked in folded condition bymeans of a single adhesive fastening means, as distinguished from knownconstructions wherein a multiplicity of adhesive connections arenecessary, and that the blank from Which my box is formed is stamped orcut from a single blank, so that it may be shipped to the purchasers ina flattened condition and yet be assembled for use with great facility.

What is claimed is:

l. A foldable box comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, anintermediate side panel connecting the top and bottom panels, over*lapping side and end panels, an extension on one of said side panelsforming a flap adapted to overlap the bottom panel of the box whenassembled, foldable iiaps on said extension having openings therein, andlocking tongues on a pair of the side panels engaging said openings Whenthe box is assembled to secure the extension in position.

2. A foldable box comprising top', bottom, side and end panels, one pairof end panels each being provided with a plurality of ears havinglocking shoulders and an intermediate locking tongue, the other pair ofend panels each having plurality of slots therein to receive one of theears and a locking tongue, and an extension on one of the side panelsprovided With openings adapted to receive the other locking tongues whenthe box is assembled.

3. A foldable box formed of a blank comprising top and bottom panels andan intermediate side panel, side panels at opposite ends of said blank,one panel of Which is provided With flaps having rounded corners, saidside panels being adapted to be folded into overlapping relation, anextension on one of said side panels providing a flap engaging thebottom panel of the box when assembled, folding flaps on said extensionhaving slots therein, a pair of end panels extending from the top paneland each provided With spaced ears provided with locking shoulders andan intermediate locking tongue, a pair of end panels extending from thebottom panel and each having a plurality of openings therein, the saidpairs of end panels being adapted to be folded into overlappingrelation, the openings in each of the end panels Which extend from thebottom panel being adapted to receive one of the said locking ears andone of said tongues to secure the end panels in closed position, andeach of the openings in the flaps of the extension being adapted toreceive the other locking ears on the end panels secured to the toppanel, whereby the extension is locked in position.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day ofFebruary, 1929.

ARTHUR EMLEN BROVN.

